Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-02-17

indigestion of the food, and there are
many direct disorders resulting from it
which cause good deal of tronble. Some
of these are cOlic-spasmodic- is
most serious, and fatulent, windy, or
empanitic, which is most common. The
latter. however, sometimes results fatally
by producing rupture of the stomach or
bowels by reason Of the great distention
OF these organs by the accumulated gas,
which cannot escape and which is caused
by the fermentation of the indigested
food. At times the nervous system is
involved and the common staggers. or
apoplexy caused by congestion of the
brain results; or in bad cases the more
serious mad staggers, or frenzy, (Phreni
tis,) occurs, with usually fatal results.
Paralysis, complete or partial, of the
spinal system of nerves, also results
from indigestion and breaking down, in
ability to stand or move, with sudden
falling in harness or on the road takes
place.
These instances show the serious ma
ture of this disorder, which is not sur
prising when we remember how the food
is the sustenance of the animal, support
ing all its organs and controlling all its
vital functions, and when it fails to do
its Office, necessarily all these fail with
it.
Prevention is better than cure; and a
few simple rules in regard to feeding and
watering may secure immunity from these
disorders. The stomach of a horse is
mparatively small, and concentrated
food or, if the food is bulky, numerous
small meals are required to secure per-
feet disgestion. Ample time should be
given for feeding, and if the animal has
greedy and voracious habit and swal
lows its food hastily this should be cut
into chaff or ground into meal and mix
ed together with sufficient water to avoid
slOppishness and no more. Cut feed is
always more digestible than long hay and
whole grain, and common suppOsItlOn
that it makes a horse soft" and easily
sweate is not we'll founded, for the con-
dition of moistness in which it is given is
only preliminary to the moistening of
the food by mastication.
A sufficient secretion of saliva during
the feeding is indispensable to digestion,
as the salivary fluid is a true digestive
agent aid dissolves starch and converts
it into sugar.
A regular ration of salt is also required
for digestion, as the acid of salt lhydro-
chloric) is present in the digestive fluid
of the stomach and some soda (the alkali
of SALTY is always present in the bile,
which is one of the important agents of
digestion. Mixed food is better than any
one, for one helps considerably to digest
the other. Thus, bran helps in the diges
ton of corn aid oats, and so does linseed
meal, beside providing the necessary oil
required for complete digestion of crude
fibre and heterogeneous matter.
Water should always be given before
feeding and never Immediately afterward.
Collie is often produced by copious water
ing soon after eating. and also by water
ing when the animal is hot and weary
from work; the stomach, being chilled is
for the time incapable of digesting any
food. Light feeding is to be given dur
ing hard or rapid work, and the full feed
is only given after sufficient rest. Over
feeding is to be specially avoided, and
regularity is very important. One 12-
quart pailful of cut hay and four pounds
of meal is a full feed for thousand
pound horse given twice day with an
equivalent feeding between of oats or
corn and long hay. Orchard grass hay
cut just at the blossoming is excellent
for horses; ripe timothy is the next best,
and corn blades, pulled green, make as
good feed as any. Dusty or moldy food
is to be specially avoided, not only for
its effect upon the digestive organs, but
for its evil results upon the respiratory
functions. Idleness is conducive to indi-
gestion, and during the present season
particularly horses should be turned out
for exercise every day.
Green food In the summer is often the
cause of serious Indigestion with its COM
mon results-colic, and rupture of the
stomach, which is inevitably fatal. Such
food should never be given wet, or heat
eed by fermentation after cutting, or in
excessive quantity, nor when horse is
weary. Glover or rye should be cut after
the dew is off and before the heat of the
day and spread in the shade to wilt, or in
the afternoon, and left to wilt until the
next day. 4 sprinkling of salt will tend
to avoid trouble with such food, as it pre-
vent fermentation.
Salads for Winter.
LONDON Garden.
CHIoKORY AND MUSTARD AND CREss.